Many people have tried to simplify the spelling of English words. Unlike other languages , English sometimes spells the same sounds in very different ways . For example , there is “light “but” white”, ”loan ”but “phone” ,and there are at least seven different ways of pronouncing “ough”: ”though”, ”through “,”bough”. “cough” ”enough “, “ought” and “thorough “.
The American President Theodore Roosevelt almost succeeded in simplifying English spelling .In 1906, Andrew Carnegie started the Simplified Spelling Board .He was one of the richest men in the United States of America .The board’s plan was to make the spelling of words nearer to the way they sound .For example , the word “though” would be spelt “tho” and “through “would become “thru”. Other people on the board were Melvil Dewey , the head of the New York libraries , and Professor Brander Matthews of Columbia University 。They explained their idea to President Roosevelt , who thought that it was indeed logical .He immediately asked the government printer to sue simplified spelling in all government letters .
But people didn’t like the change, even if it made life easier. So the new simpler spelling was not popular. More importantly, when the American politicians (政客) discussed the plan, they did not like it either.
Because Roosevelt did not want to have any problems with the politicians, he changed his mind and told the printer to go back to the old way of spelling.
Since then no one in any government has dared to simplify English spelling. However,people do simplify some words, mainly in advertisements. For example, we often see “tonite” instead of “tonight” and “thru” instead of “through”.
1.Many people have tried to simplify English spelling because________.
A. English words are too long to remember
B. there are many mistakes in English words
C. lots of words are spelt in many different ways
D. sometimes the same sounds have different spellings.
2. Who is NOT a member of the Simplified Spelling Board?
A. Andrew Carnegie.
B. Melvil Dewey.
C. Theodore Roosevelt.
D. Brander Matthews.
3. What was Theodore Roosevelt’s attitude towards simplified spelling?
A.Worried.
B. Supportive.
C. Uncertain.
D. Doubtful.
4. According to the passage, simplified spelling________.
A. was welcomed by the US politicians
B. changed the way the words sound
C. has been used widely for over a century
D. was first used in US government letters.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Many people have tried to simplify the spelling of English words. Unlike other languages , English sometimes spells the same sounds in very different ways . For example , there is “light “but” white”, ”loan ”but “phone” ,and there are at least seven different ways of pronouncing “ough”: ”though”, ”through “,”bough”. “cough” ”enough “, “ought” and “thorough “.
The American President Theodore Roosevelt almost succeeded in simplifying English spelling .In 1906, Andrew Carnegie started the Simplified Spelling Board .He was one of the richest men in the United States of America .The board’s plan was to make the spelling of words nearer to the way they sound .For example , the word “though” would be spelt “tho” and “through “would become “thru”. Other people on the board were Melvil Dewey , the head of the New York libraries , and Professor Brander Matthews of Columbia University 。They explained their idea to President Roosevelt , who thought that it was indeed logical .He immediately asked the government printer to sue simplified spelling in all government letters .
But people didn’t like the change, even if it made life easier. So the new simpler spelling was not popular. More importantly, when the American politicians (政客) discussed the plan, they did not like it either.
Because Roosevelt did not want to have any problems with the politicians, he changed his mind and told the printer to go back to the old way of spelling.
Since then no one in any government has dared to simplify English spelling. However,people do simplify some words, mainly in advertisements. For example, we often see “tonite” instead of “tonight” and “thru” instead of “through”.
1.Many people have tried to simplify English spelling because________.
A. English words are too long to remember
B. there are many mistakes in English words
C. lots of words are spelt in many different ways
D. sometimes the same sounds have different spellings.
2. Who is NOT a member of the Simplified Spelling Board?
A. Andrew Carnegie.
B. Melvil Dewey.
C. Theodore Roosevelt.
D. Brander Matthews.
3. What was Theodore Roosevelt’s attitude towards simplified spelling?
A.Worried.
B. Supportive.
C. Uncertain.
D. Doubtful.
4. According to the passage, simplified spelling________.
A. was welcomed by the US politicians
B. changed the way the words sound
C. has been used widely for over a century
D. was first used in US government letters.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many people have tried to simplify (简化) the spelling of English words. Unlike other languages, English sometimes spells the same sounds in very different ways. For example, there is "light" but "white", "loan" but "phone", and there are at least seven different ways of pronouncing "ough": "though", "through", "bough"," cough", "enough", "ought" and "thorough".
The American President Theodore Roosevelt almost succeeded in simplifying English spelling. In 1906,Andrew Carnegie started the Simplified Spelling Board. He was one of the richest men in the United States of America. The board's plan was to make the spelling of words nearer to the way they sound. For example, the word "though" would be spelt "tho" and "through" would become "thru". Other people on the board were Melvil Dewey, the head of the New York libraries, and Professor Brander Matthews of Columbia University. They explained their idea to President Roosevelt, who thought that it was indeed logical. He immediately asked the government printer to use simplified spelling in all government letters.
But people didn't like the change, even if it made life easier. So the new simpler spelling was not popular. More importantly, when the American politicians (政客) discussed the plan, they did not like it either.
Because Roosevelt did not want to have any problems with the politicians, he changed his mind and told the printer to go back to the old way of spelling.
Since then no one in any government has dared to simplify English spelling. However,people do simplify some words, mainly in advertisements. For example, we often see "tonite" instead of "tonight" and "thru" instead of "through".
1.Many people have tried to simplify English spelling because________.
A.English words are too long to remember
B. there are many mistakes in English words
C. lots of words are spelt in many different ways
D. sometimes the same sounds have different spellings.
2.Who is NOT a member of the Simplified Spelling Board?
A.Andrew Carnegie.
B. Melvil Dewey.
C. Theodore Roosevelt.
D. Brander Matthews.
3.What was Theodore Roosevelt's attitude towards simplified spelling?
A .Worried.
B. Supportive.
C. Uncertain.
D. Doubtful.
4.According to the passage, simplified spelling________.
A. was welcomed by the US politicians
B. changed the way the words sound
C. has been used widely for over a century
D. was first used in US government letters.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many people tried to leave the country,________there was much violence and a serious shortage of food supply.
A.where B.which C.that D.what
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many people tried to leave the country, ________ there was much violence and a serious shortage of food supply.
A.where B.which
C.that D.what
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
In English the spelling of words does not always represent the sound. So people say /rait/ but spell it right or write, or even rite. Combinations of letters may be pronounced in many ways. And some words just seem to have too many letters.
For Americans things are a little bit easier, thanks to the work of Noah Webster, a teacher who graduated from Yale University in 1778. As a young man, he had fought against the British in the American War of Independence, and he felt that written English in the newly independent United States should have a distinctive American look.
So he began his work on American English. His first book, The Elementary Spelling Book, suggested simplifying the spelling of English words. The book was extremely popular. By the 1850s, it was selling one million copies a year, making it one of the most popular school books ever.
Many of the suggestions were quickly adopted. Center instead of centre, program instead of programme, and flavor instead of flavour. Others, however, such as removing silent letters like s in island or the final e in examine, were not .
Webster is best known for his American Dictionary of the English language, which first appeared in 1828. It introduced lots of new American words, with information about their pronunciation and use, and, of course, the new spelling. The British criticized the dictionary, but it quickly became a standard reference book in the States. Today, Webster's dictionary is still the number one dictionary for American students.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A. Webster and his best sellers.
B. British and American English.
C. The history of American English.
D. The man who made spelling simple.
2.Which is the right order according to the text?
①Webster graduated from Yale University.
②American Dictionary of the English language came out.
③Webster's book was selling one million copies a year.
④Webster took part in the American War of Independence.
A. ②①③④ B. ③①②④ C. ④①③② D. ①②③④
3.What can we learn from the text?
A. All the spelling of words does not represent the sound.
B. The Elementary Spelling Book was published in the 1850s.
C. Webster's suggestions were accepted completely.
4.What attitude do the British have towards Webster's dictionary?
A. They thought highly of it.
B. They found fault with it.
C. They argued bitterly about it.
D. They followed the examples of it.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
One step too far
Scientists have been trying to figure out how to alter the genes of humans for many years now, and it looks like they've finally cracked (破解) the code. But while this may seem like a great step forward in science, some also believe that it's one step back when it comes to ethics.
In August, a group of scientists from the US and South Korea worked together to successfully edit a human embryo and remove a genetic mutation (突变) that would have led to heart disease, reported The Guardian.
This was achieved with the help of CRISPR, a gene-editing tool that allows scientists to “cut and paste” human DNA.
Although this was the first example of an embryo's genes being changed successfully, the benefits of gene editing have already been tested in living patients.
In 2015, a five-month-old girl from the UK was saved after doctors used edited cells to fight off her cancer. As of today, she's alive and well.
And in the US last year, scientists managed to remove HIV cells from several patients by editing the genes inside their bodies.
Some people hope that in the future, diseases or birth detects could simply be “edited out”. However, others believe this could lead to so-called designer babies, giving parents the option to choose everything from eye color to intelligence.
“You could find wealthy parents buying the latest ‘upgrades’ for their children, leading to even greater inequality than we already live with,” Marcy Darnovsky, director of the San Francisco Center for Genetics, told BBC News.
In spite of these ethical concerns, experts say it’s not possible to create the “perfect” human being. Despite the progress scientists have made, we don’t understand human genes enough to give all unborn child great brainpower or amazing singing abilities.
“Right now, we know nothing about genetic enhancement,” Hank Greely, a director of sciences at Stanford University, US, told The New York Times. “We’re never going to be able to say, honestly, ‘This embryo looks like it would score high on the two-part SAT.’”
So it looks like if we want good exam results, or to impress people with our piano skills, we’ll have to stick with the old fashioned method of plain hard work — at least for now.
1.The underlined word “alter” in Paragraph 1 probably means ______.
A.record
B.change
C.remove
D.increase
2.Why do some people consider human gene editing a step backwards? ______
A.They don't think it is an effective way to light diseases.
B.They are concerned that it could lead to genetic mutations.
C.They think it could lead to designer babies and increased inequality.
D.They worry that it could make parents abandon children with birth defects.
3.What was the first successful example of human embryo gene editing? ______
A.A genetic mutation related to heart disease was removed by scientists
B.A newborn baby with cancer was saved by edited cells.
C.HIV cells were removed from patients’ bodies.
D.Some birth defects were simply edited out.
4.What can we conclude from the text? ______
A.Gene editing is regarded as the perfect way to treat birth defects.
B.There is still a long way to go to fully understand human genes.
C.Gene editing could help enhance human intelligence in the near future.
D.Scientists are pessimistic about the future of gene editing.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Ihalf of the English novel,and I’ll try to finish it at the weekend.
A.read B.have read C.am reading D.will read
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
I ________ half of the English novel, and I’ll try to finish it at the weekend.
A. read B. have read
C. am reading D. will read
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
How many hours does it take to be fluent in English?
There are plenty of people in the UK for whom even basic English is a problem. According to the survey, 726,000 people in England and Wales said they could not speak English well, and another 138,000 said they did not speak it at all.
Ling, 40,who arrived five years ago from China, found it difficult to learn English. " When I came here l was pregnant and so I was at home for the next three years. It took me longer to learn as l was very busy with the children.” Eventually she was able to begin taking classes and now speaks good conversational English. But even with classes, it can be a long process to pick up the language.
Age is the most important factor in language acquisition, says Mila Vulchanova, professor of linguistics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "There is a sensitive period in language learning, which is biologically determined, with an onset at birth and a decline around puberty. So the younger the immigrant, the better. Since this decline is only gradual, teenagers are at an advantage over adults.” he says.
There are a number of systems for grading English. The government expects immigrants to reach "ESOL Entry 3" or "B1 level" in Scotland, before they can be granted citizenship. It's equivalent(相当的) to being able to hold a confident conversation and-it might take 360 hours of study to achieve.
George Osborne said in June following the spending review that welfare claimants(申请者)who don't speak English will have their benefits cut if they fail to attend language courses.
Huan Japes, deputy chief executive of English UK, a trade body for language colleges, says a rule of thumb is 360 hours-120 hours for each of three stages-to get to the standard the government expects benefit claimants to reach.
But many of the people who attend courses are visiting students rather than people settling in the UK. Immigrants tend to have very varied levels of education.
" Using 120 hours( for each stage of English fluency) is a rather traditional approach to course book learning," says Dr Elaine Boyd, head of English language at Trinity College London. "If someone is really highly motivated, they can learn really quickly. It's common for children under the age of 11 to be very immersed and be fluent in about six months. "
1.The example of Ling is given to show that _ .
A. it's important to speak fluent English
B. many immigrants attend English classes
C. it's difficult to learn English well
D. many immigrants can't speak English in England
2. What does Mila Vulchanova mainly stress?
A. The necessity of working hard at English.
B. The function of the sensitive period.
C. The advantages of children's learning English.
D. The importance of starting learning English early.
3.What Dr Elaine Boyd says suggests that .
A. 120 hours is a standard that is a little low
B. 120 hours is a standard that is too high
C. English fluency can be easily achieved
D. English fluency can hardly be achieved
4.The author develops the passage mainly by .
A. using survey data
B. using experts' views
C. giving examples of English learners
D. listing the facts of English learning
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Thanks to the power of the Internet, many people have become superstars overnight. Their _______ is felt online in catchphrases(名言), photos and videos that _______ around the Internet. hey have gotten famous _______ the unique luck of becoming an Internet celebrity.
This global phenomenon has certainly caught on in the US, and American high school students are no _______. Alex is one of their_______.
Alex? A few months ago, he was a high school student living a _______life. He lived in Texas in the US. He woke up at 7 am for school. He had 144 followers on Twitter. But now everybody on social media knows him. How?
You must have had this experience. You were waiting in line for the _______ in a store when you realized that your cashier was smoking _______. Well, that's exactly what happened to someone who saw Alex. He was working in a chain store one weekend and a teen girl took his photo and posted it on the Internet. She _______ a caption(文字说明) naming the store, writing, "This is Alex from Target," and teen girls soon began ________ the picture on every social media platform.
Alex, who worked in the Target store all clay, had no idea that he had become a sensation. He only felt ________ when he noticed his checkout line had gotten ________ long. Then his Target manager showed him the online photo.
Alex's life began to ________. He got thousands of followers on Twitter, a social network, within the first 24 hours and his new fans even tried to ________ which Target store he worked at. "I was getting tons of texts," Alex said. "They all said 'This is crazy, you're famous.
________ , Alex also paid the ________ for fame when he received criticism and verbal ________. Many have taken to social media to call Alex names. Twitter is full of ________ criticizing his looks.
Alex has tried to________the criticism. He says he wants to take what he learned from his days of being bullied and help to ________teenagers who are experiencing meanness online.
1.A.profession B.potential C.purpose D.presence
2.A.float B.shake C.interrupt D.perform
3.A.regardless of B.free from C.due to D.apart from
4.A.need B.sense C.exception D.reason
5.A.schoolmates B.representatives C.settlers D.citizens
6.A.normal B.colorful C.healthy D.tough
7.A.board B.notice C.shelf D.checkout
8.A.big B.hot C.free D.light
9.A.added B.copied C.mixed D.moved
10.A.taking B.editing C.sharing D.drawing
11.A.fortunate B.strange C.thrilled D.upset
12.A.slightly B.commonly C.unnecessarily D.unusually
13.A.change B.recover C.improve D.suffer
14.A.remember B.see to C.figure out D.explain
15.A.Instead B.Therefore C.Otherwise D.However
16.A.price B.note C.rent D.tax
17.A.attacks B.promises C.agreements D.reminders
18.A.rules B.marks C.posts D.bills
19.A.set off B.give off C.brush off D.take off
20.A.attract B.guide C.follow D.consult
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析